In response to the changing rules in the NIL era, the NCAA has announced significant changes in the way scholarships will be awarded to college athletes. Teams, including Arkansas led by Coach Sam Pittman, will now have the ability to offer 105 scholarships, 20 more than the current cap, starting in the 2025-26 academic year. This new revenue-sharing model will apply to football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, and volleyball.
The impact of this change goes beyond football, as Coach Dave Van Horn of the Arkansas baseball team has advocated for an increase in scholarships from the current cap of 11.7 to 34. Other sports such as basketball, volleyball, and softball will also benefit from additional scholarships. However, schools will need to ensure that any bump in scholarships for a male sport will likely need to be matched with an additional scholarship for a female sport to comply with Title IX regulations.
Teams are now in the process of reallocating resources to different sports as they adjust to these new scholarship limits. This change is expected to provide more opportunities for student-athletes across various sports and help address concerns about athletes leaving school with debt. The NCAA’s decision marks a significant shift in the way scholarships are awarded and could have a meaningful impact on college sports moving forward.
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